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THE CYRILLIC VALVE NUMBERING SYSTEM AS TRANSLATED FROM GOST 5461-59

Posted by STEVE M on

I thought that today we could continue to Eastern - cyrillic theme and look at a Russian valve numbering system.  Well, whilst researching this blog article I really could have done with my Dad here as his Ukrainian multilingual ability would have been most useful, honestly, how do you cope with a 33 letter alphabet?   But no,  I persevered and didn't even contact my pal Gary Skiba who could have helped as well.   Some of you may know Gary as the leading UK Leak guru - I'll certainly be bending his ear when my blog subjects turn to all things Leak, anyhow, I digress, for here is a 'little' primer on Cyrillic valve numbering systems.   Now none of you will have an excuse for not being able to read valveski (oops - Polish!!!!).

 

The Russian military Standard Operating Procedure for thermionic device numerication is documented in the 1959 issued GOST 5461-59.    The numbering system comprises of a four character system.  Thermionic devices MUST have a complete four character code,  however, where a  character is   not required  as a device descriptor then a dash should be included in it’s place.          On no account must the code ever be shortened from the prescribed four character code (or you will be sent to Siberia). 

 

The first (1o) character defines the usage for a device
гК
TX valve < 25 MHz
гЧ
UHF TX valve 25-600 MHz
гC
TX valve centimetric radar
гM
Modulator valve
B
High power rectifier
Cг
Voltage stabiliser
Cг
Current stabiliser
T
Thyratron
гг
Gas-discharge rectifiers
гP
Mercury gas-discharge rectifier
 Ф/ фзY
Photo-electronic device
Heater voltage (V)
Receiving valve
Screen diameter (cm) 
Cathode ray tube
Д
Semiconductor diode
Л
Transistor
 
The second (2o)  character defines the electrode structure for a device
Д
Diodes
X
Double diode
C
Triode
з
Tetrode
Л
Power pentode & beam tetrode
K
Remote cut-off pentode
ж
Sharp cut-off pentode
B
Secondary emission pentode
A
Twin grid mixer & hexode valve
ъ
Pentode with one or two diode
г
Triode with one or more diode
E
Tuning indicator
й
Triodes with hexode, heptode or octode
H
Double triode
P
Double tetrode or pentode
ф
Triode - pentode
л
Rectifier
Type sequence number 
Gas-discharge rectifier
г
Gas thyratron
P
Mercury thyratron
X
Cold cathode thyratron
пM
Oscilloscope tubes with electrostatic deflection
пM
Oscilloscope tube with electromagnetic deflection
пK
Cathode ray tube
Type  number 
Semiconductor
  
The third (3o) character is a numerical descriptor
Receiving, picture, generator, modulator, stabiliser, 
photo- electronic device, thyratron
Sequential number
Semiconductor
Characteristic letter
 
The fourth (4o) character defines the construction type and material for a device 
-
Metal
Applicable to receiving & stabiliser valves
C
Glass
ж
HF glass, side leads
K
Ceramic
п
Miniature glass 19 & 22.5 mm
г
Subminiature > 10 mm
ъ
Subminiature 10mm
P
Subminiature 4 mm
A
Subminiature 6 mm
п
lock-in-key
д
Disc leads
A
Water cooled
Applicable to TX and modulator valves
ь
Air cooled
letter 
Phosphor colour code
Applicable to CRT only
X = Average current (A)
Y = Reverse voltage amplitude (kV)
 Applicable to thyratron & rectifier valves
  
Post main code suffix (x-bis)
B
Military high reliability ruggedized valve
E
Military long life valve
й
Impulse trigger device
K
Vibration resistant ruggedized device
  
Current Regulators
[A]ь [V1-V2]
Current,  (A) = [A]; Voltage range, (V) = [V1-V2]
 
Wow, it’s a biggie this table, however, I have a few more interesting nuggets for you next. Russian and Chinese valves seem to be used in a lot of budget Chinese hifi these days    (the latter not so surprisingly!!!!)

First of all, here’s a Cyrillic to European letter conversion table:-

Using this you should now be able to identify what your Cyrillic valves equate to whatever language the envelopes are marked in. My equivalent table below – a first for the internet I think - has been populated with a European character set and relates the more commonly seen Russian & Chinese types to the ‘common all garden' US and European type numbers, 'Nice one Cyril!':- 
 
European
US
Chinese
Russian
ECC88
6DJ8
6N23
6N23P
E88CC
6922
6N11
6N23P-EV
6SN7
6SN7
6N8
6N8P - 6CC10
6SL7
6SL7
6N9
6N9P
EF86
6267
6J8
6J32P
5687
5687
6N12
N/A
ECC40
N/A
6N1
6N1P
N/A
6AX7
6N2
6N2P / 6CC41
296A
2C51
6N3
6N3P / 6CC42
ECL82
6BM8
N/A
6F3P
EL84
6BQ5
6P14
6P14P
6L6
6L6
6P3P
6P3S
6V6
6V6
6P6P
6P6S
KT88
6550
6P27P
6P27P
U52
5U4G
5Z3P
5Z3S
5Y3
5Y3
5Z2P
5Z2S
GZ30
5Z4
5Z4P
5Z4S
 
 

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